Safety-lock for switch-stands



c. H. ysI-:VERS- SAFETY LOCK FOR SWITCH STANDS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. I3, I920 m, Lw@ W *Mv i m 0o 9 Z P M N 3 f I fw w RK J6 m5 AT wo UNITED rats cnrtrs'ronnen n. 4sEvER-s, or'cnzrcaeo, ILLINOIS.

v.Mr lar;oFF!

lSAFETY-Lock ron SWITCH-STANDS.

Application mea september lafiaao. seriall no. 410,053'.

To all whom t may concern." f

Be it known that I, CHRISTOPHER SEV-L ERS, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented certain lnew and useful Improvements in Safety-Locks for Switch-Stands, of which the following is a specication. Y'

' The invention relates to switch stands and seeks to provide an improved safety lock of simple, effective construction therefor. The invention consists in the improvements hereinafter setforth and illustrated in the preferred form inl the accompanying drawings and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings Figure l is a view in elevation of al switch stand with the present improvement applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a verticalsection of the improved safety lock taken on the line 2-2 of 3j;

- Fig. Sis a vertical section on theline 343 of Fig., 2;y

Fig. 4 is a partial lock support; and o v Y Fig. 5 illustrates a form of key which may end view of theA safety be employed to release the lock.V

The improved safety ylock is more partic# ularlyV adaptedV 'for switch standsk such as illustrated in Fig. 1 and comprising a'body portion 1 adaptedto be mounted between two ties 2 and having a horizontal operating shaft 3 provided with a throw lever 4' which isarranged to be moved through substantially 18()o to open and close the switchv connected to the stand, the leverbeing provided,V

as'shown, withan outer weighted end 5." At one side of the stand is mounted an upright support Gfwhich carries a-suitable latch 7 for holding the throw lever in, the .position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1 with the switch open. This latch may be ofiany suitable construction and, as usual, is adapted to be manually released. p

At the other side of the'standis provided thesafety lock attachment and which is car-V ried by an upright cast metal support 8 having a base flange 9 byl which it is spiked'to the adjacent tie. At" its inner end .the 'support 'issprovided with an upwardly opening recess or seat l0 which is arranged to receive the throw lever 4l when the latter is .in the position shown in fulllines in F ig.V 1 with Ythe switch closed. 'Preferably like' the supthe lever in the seat 10. i VInaddition tothel i,

latclnsafety lockingmeaI/is` are provided for holding the lever in this position andthereby preventing the unauthorized' opening of the switch.' y

In the preferred construction shown the upper portion of the support is provided with an Vopening 12 extending therethrough and communicating with the upper portion of the seat or. recess 1 0, thewall or portion of thesfupport on the opposite side of the recess'being providedwith" anfopen'ing 13 inrv linewithjthe opening 12. AThe openings 12"l and'13 are ladapted to ,receive a removablel locking bolt 14 which, in the locking(l position4 n. shown"4 in Fig., 2, prevents the movement of the throw lever 4. :To prevent rotary'movement of the bolt, the openings 12`vand` 13 Aare vsquare in crossl section and the bolt'is pro- 'vided at 'its outer endy with an upturned per-v forated'portion'on handle 15 -'and the latter,

in the formfshown, is" provided with allat-vv erally projectingtarget 16." In a'V railway system or yard yin which the present safety devices are employed theA locking bolts', are carried by ernfployees"whoA may be* required to work upon a track and wish toprevent the opening of the switchcontrolling the track while they v-at work. Under such circumstances theoperatingilever 4 of the controlling `switch will be thrown tothe position shown infulllinesin v,F ly to close the switch land one of the llocking bolts inserted formed in the support 8 adjacentthe seat To prevent; the insertion of one of the `lockingbolts by a careless workman with- 10. The lower end of thestop is provided ranged within aV recess 20 in the'support and is fixed to a vertically movable member 21 the upper end ,of4 which extends into the Alower. portion 'of therecess orf-seat 10.' -A' so thatithe latter cannot be thrust inwardly to locling position,jbut 'when the leverft is thrown to close the switch it will engage Vthe `with Vav laterally-extending portion 19 ar-v the SM10 the Spring-,2a holds thev stop 17 'elevated in the Path of-movement 0f the bon f 'member' 21 'and shift the stop 17' against. s

arranged to the tension of the spring 22 to the position shown in full lines in Fig. 2 so that the locking bolt can then be inserted.

in locking position. In the form shown this latch is carried by a block 24 which is adapted to be inserted in the corresponding recess in the outer portion ofthe support 8. A latch member 25 is arranged to slide vertically within a recess inV the block 24 and is provided with a reduced upper end portion and a reduced cylindrical lower portion or stem 26. A spring 27 coiled about the stem 26 extends between the body of the latch and aplate 28 inthe lower portion of vrthe recess in the block. The spring 27 nor Vmally holds the latch 4in uppermost position with its upper end 29 extending intothe openingV 12 and in thepath of movement of the locking bolt 14. The upper end 29 of the latch isv provided with a square inner face and a beveled outer face and is engage a correspondingly shaped recess in the bolt 14 when the latter is shifted to its innermost locking position. The bolt is also provided with a beveled or cam shaped end 30 which as it is inserted is arranged to engage and depress the latch against the tension of the spring 27 but when the bolt is in locking position the spring will engage the latch with the notch of the bolt and secure it in locking position.

To effect the release of the vlatch the end portion of. the support 8 adjacent the kblock 24 is provided with a keyhole 31 adapted to receivea key 32.v The keyhole, andr key may be ing with the safetyglock by unauthorized persons.V In the formV shown the inner end of the .key isarranged toextend within recesses 33 and 34 formedrespectively in the block 24 and latch 25 with the inner end of the key stem engaging the hole 35 of the block and the ward of the key engaging an opening 36 in the latch so that by turning.

the keyV the latch can be depressed torelease the bolt 14. A

.To notify the yard master or other suitable oiiicial that a, switch has been lockedin closed position, the support 8 is'preferably Aprovided with a recess 37 within which are arranged a pair of contacts 38 arranged to-control .a signal circuit. These contacts are normally open` but are adapted to be engaged by a switch actuator 39 having a ,head 40 arranged within the recess 41 formed in the support above the recess 37 .A spring 42 is coiled about the actuator and `eXtends between the head 40 and a plate 43 arranged in the lower portion of the recess 41. Normally the switch actuator 39 is held elevated by the spring 42 and the signal contacts 38 are open but, when the locking boltr14 is inserted, its beveled end 30 with engage a beveled portion 44 of the latch is provided for holding the bolt 14y variously shaped to prevent tamper-,

head 40 and depress the actuator as shown in Fig.V 2 to thereby engage the contacts.

Thev recesses carrying'the latch block 24,- stop 17, signal contacts and actuator open through one of the side faces of the support 8 and are closed by a cover plate 45 secured in position by screw bolts l46.

vTo prevent access of moisture and dirt through the openings 12 and the keyhole 31, the outer ends of these openings are preferably closed by a pair of vertical movable slides 47 carried by a plate48 thatis fixed to the upper portion of the outer face of the support 8. The plate is rovided with guiding recesses 49 for the slides and with openings registering with the opening 12 and keyhole 31 and which openings are normally closed by the slides. The latter are provided with projectionsV 50 so that of a support having aseat for receiving said lever when the latter is at one end ofits tlirowa bolt insertibleinto said support for locking said lever in said seat, and means for preventing the shift of said bolt to locking position when said lever -is out of said seat.

2. Ina switch stand, the combination with an operating shaft and throw lever therefor, of a support having a seat for receiving saidlever when thev latter is at oney endof its throw, a bolt removably engaging said support and arranged to lock said lever in said seat, and a stop adapted to be tripped by said lever Vfor preventing the movement of s aidbolt to locking position when said lever is out of said seat.

3. In a switch stand, the combination with an operating shaft and throw levertherefor, of asupport having a seat for receiving said lever when the latter is at one end of itsthrow, a bolt insertible into said support for locking said lever in said seat, a stop .for preventing the shift of the bolt to' locking position, said lever being arranged to trip said stop when in position in said seat, and key controlled latch for holding said bolt ,in locking position. f

4. In a switch stand, the combination with an operating shaftl and throw lever therefor, of a support having a' seat for receiving said lever when the latter is at one end of vits throw, a bolt. insertible into said support to lock said lever in said seat, and a keycontrolled, spring-actuated latch carried by said support for holding said bolt Yin locking position.

5. In a switch stand, the combination with iio an operating shaft and throw lever therefor, of a support having a seat for receiving said lever when the latter is at one end of its throw, a bolt removably engaging said support for locking said lever in said seat, a

.springheld stop for preventing the movethrow, a bolt insertible into said support for.

locking said lever in said seat, and a keycontrolled latch for holding said bolt in lockingposition, said support having a recess in which said latch is mounted.

7 In a Switch stand, the combination with an operating shaft and throw lever therefor, of asupport having a seat for receiving said lever when the latter is at one end of its throw, a bolt adapted to be inseted through said support for locking said lever in said seat, a stop preventing the shift of said bolt to locking position but arranged to be tripped by said lever when the latter is moved into said seat, and a key-controlled latch for holding said bolt in locking posi-r tion, said support having covered recessesl 'I in which said stop and latch are mounted.

8. In a switch stand, the combination with an operating shaft and throw lever therefor, of a support having a seat for receiving said lever when the latter is at one end of its throw, a bolt cooperating with said support for locking said leverl in said seat, a keycontrolled latch lfor securing said bolt 1n locking position, signaling contacts and an actuator therefor` controlled by said bolt,"`

said contacts and lactuator being arranged with recessesl in said support.

CHRISTOPHER H. SEVERS. 

